


the science of french baguettes and subway strangers

by allusions



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Eventual Romance, Fluff, M/M, Travel, i honestly dont know, im sorry, this is ongoing, three shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-05-16 03:12:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14803281
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allusions/pseuds/allusions
Summary: Meeting a stranger from the subway wasn't so bad, after all.





	1. Un

**Author's Note:**

> hello, hello  
> welcome to my poor attempt of a fic so please be kind uwu
> 
> and i want to say many thanks to the two As, for always being the enablers even though i'm kinda lazy but yes, they're there. and to all of my kind mutuals and friends, thanks!

**i. Toi et Moi**

Daniel sits across the long glass table, situated inside a spacious conference room in the middle of a large corporate building in Gangnam-gu. He snorts, lips curled downward and eyes looking annoyed as ever, as he flips page by page, scanning the written reports with his watchful eyes.

A small thud is heard as Jisung, the vice president, releases a stack of thick paperwork in the glassy table, slamming it in the process.

“I heard what you did, Niel-ah,” he scoffs while maintaining his stern façade to intimidate the young CEO. He may have been lower than Daniel but he’s still the older one, and the _chaebol’s_ mother specifically wanted the older to take care of his son because he’s still young. And young people, sometimes, well, are unpredictable.

“ _Hyung_ ,” Daniel whines, tosses the written reports at the sides and looks at Jisung with pleading eyes. “I didn’t mean to lash out on them.”

Jisung can only let out a sigh.

“I know, I know,” he rubs the younger’s back and pats his hair. “But y’know, you have to deal with your anger sooner or later.”

“But I don’t know how,” Daniel retorts, picks up the papers again and proceeds to scan everything to distract himself from the conversation.

“I think I might have the perfect idea,” Jisung has the biggest grin plastered on his face. _Uh oh_ , Daniel has a bad feeling about this. “Why don’t you go travelling? Soul searching perhaps?” _Not a bad idea_ , he muses. He thinks cooling down a bit, away from the toxicity of corporate mayhem in downtown Gangnam, would be a conducive activity to peel off the stress from his system.

“Not bad,” he stretches out his hand towards his chin and hums in acceptance. “Are you sure you can handle the company without me, hyung?”

“Yah!” Daniel receives a playful hit on his head. “What do you think of me?”

The two of them giggle like children together inside the half-empty conference room. Daniel is really thankful to have a reliable figure by his side because when everything seems to annoy the living heck out of him, Jisung is always there to remind him – to control and find his inner zen.

But travelling seems to be a viable option, maybe he’d find an inspiration wherever the winds would take him, and maybe, he’d find someone that would make him calm all the time, be his happy pill – Daniel is actually hopeful for the latter.

The giggle is stopped abruptly when a loud ping emerges from Jisung’s phone – Sungwoon is calling. “Hello,” says the vice president. The conversation were only hums of agreement, spilling _yesses_ and _okays_ before the call ended with the older man, grinning in front of Daniel.

“What?” Daniel seems to worry, he’s got another bad feeling behind Jisung’s condescending smile.

“Sungwoon-ie has already cleared your schedules for the rest of the week,” he tells the younger while arranging the papers that are messily splayed across the table. “And, you’re going to Paris.”

“Oh, wow.”

“No need to thank me, Niel. I _always_ think ahead.”

 

 

**ii. Floraison**

The quaint bespoke café nestled in the bustling streets of Hongdae, catering to the young art hippies of the city of Seoul, are also a model’s favourite hang-out place. Seongwoo and his two other cohorts, namely Guanlin and Jihoon, are gathered around the wooden table, three phones placed in the middle as if they were waiting for something to happen.

A young man approaches the three and slams the table, causing the bunch to flinch from the leather ottomans that they were sitting in. “Are you going to order anything or I’m throwing you three out of the café?” The petite brunette’s tone is snarky and the expression hanging on his face doesn’t seem welcoming either.

“Eyyy, Daehwi, just let us wait for a bit then we’ll order,” Jihoon attempts connive with the young bartender with the cutest _aegyo_ he has, softening his regularly manly voice and winking like there’s no tomorrow.

Being a freelance model sucks big time but they don’t have a choice, it’s either you go big or go home. And that meant staying in the café than being out in the freezing cold because they’re all broke.

“You and your two friends better order, Park,” the young bartender points at the three of them with sharp peering eyes. “And stop the _aegyo_ , I can do better.” The boy returns back to the counter, donning the brightest smile ever, probably only for the paying customers to witness. Jihoon side-eyes in annoyance.

“Dude, I’m fucking dying here,” Guanlin groans, stretching out his long limbs that are awkwardly fixed at the sides of his chair. The three of them went for go-sees barely a week ago and today’s the day where they all get the call – either they land a gig or find another one that would accept them.

“Guanlin, my child, language,” Seongwoo calmly reprimands the said boy. Being the oldest of the bunch and Guanlin the youngest, he’s out to take care of the rowdy youngins, but unfortunately, the two don’t even budge a single bit and never takes him seriously. He’s the older one for Pete’s sake. Seongwoo can only do nothing but let out a frustrated sigh.

“Yeah sure, _Dad_ ,” Guanlin mocks the older playfully while Jihoon chuckles a bit. _Kids_ , he sighs.

After twenty gruelling minutes of staying idle and not saying a single thing, one of the phones in the table ring loudly. The three cranes as fast as they can and sees that Jihoon’s phone was the first to ring. The raven-haired boy picks the phone up and awkwardly answers whoever was on the line.

Surprisingly, the conversation went well but it wasn’t clear enough if he had gotten the gig since they were all just hums of confirmation, and Seongwoo wasn’t really sure what the boy was agreeing to. With one last hum, the conversation ends and it was up to Jihoon to break the news.

“Uhm,” he says hesitantly but then proceeds to stretch his lips into a wide grin, “I got the job!” The three screamed in utter joy, Guanlin doing some weird happy dance while Seongwoo cheering and laughing, being the loud guy that he is.

“Hey!” The same boy from the counter chides in annoyance. “Be quiet or else I’m throwing y’all out!”

“Okay, so, the company said we can start the photoshoot tomorrow and guess what?” Jihoon says enthusiastically, eyes curling intro crescents and his cheeks puffing up making him look like a rabbit.

“What?” Seongwoo says.

“They’re taking me and Guanlin!” he announces with much excitement as the youngest is visually stunned at the sudden pronouncement.

“Are you sure, hyung?” the youngest smiles and Jihoon replies with a nod; now, the two of them are doing Guanlin’s weird happy dance.

Seongwoo genuinely feels super happy for them however he can’t help but worry about his own go-see, the man had applied for a simple fashion expo held at Busan but it’s already half past eleven and everyone seems to have forgotten him.

“What about you, hyung?” Jihoon asks with a slight concern on his face.

“Who knows,” says Seongwoo, sounding far less enthusiastic than before.

In that moment, Seongwoo’s phone rings loudly, shocking the three of them since they were still revelling the youngin’s success and he was already losing hope. He glances at the phone to see that it’s Minhyun, one of their handlers and a well-connected man in the world of fashion. Editors, designers, and _paparazzis_ – you name it and Minhyun knows one of them.

“Hello?” replies Seongwoo, beads of cold sweat forming on his temples. He has got to have some good news, right? Since, Minhyun rarely calls him about these matters.

“Oh hello, Seongwoo-ssi,” the man on the other line says cheerily. “Well, I have good news to you, and also bad news. Which one would you prefer?”

“Mhmm…” He hums and thinks thoroughly, “I want the bad news first.” Since he wanted to get over the failure quickly so Seongwoo settles for the bad news.

“Okay, so the bad news is, you didn’t get the expo gig at Busan,” Seongwoo wanted to cry in that moment but he’s trying his best to stifle the sob inside him. “But the good news is, you’re going to Paris fashion week and also, they’ll let you tour for free! An all-expense paid trip!”

_Wait a minute. What?_

“What?” Seongwoo shouts unintentionally, the two boys still on edge because they had never seen their hyung act like this. “Are you serious?”

“Do I sound like I’m kidding, Seongwoo-ssi?”

Later that night, Seongwoo haphazardly packs his two suitcases with everything he can find. Everything feels like a dream and the negative side of him just tells him that this is all a big scam because who the hell would want a nobody like him at such a prestigious event. But then again, miracles do happen, with his green passport and plane ticket in hand, Seongwoo sets out to Paris, the city of lights – and also, _love_.

 

 

**iii. Tout est possible**

Much to Seongwoo’s surprise, arriving in Paris was a breeze. A private car was provided by the handler for him to be transported to a hotel near Châtelet, a station in the Paris Metro. The hotel itself wasn’t grand or anything but Seongwoo is beyond satisfied. After all, this is the Paris fashion week, and the man was poised to be able to represent the country.  It was more than ever that he could hope for.

Seongwoo works under the fashion line _Kwon_ , named after the up and coming Korean fashion designer who was gaining traction in the French arena with his modern east-meets-west flavour, Kwon Hyunbin.

The man was a joy to work with and Seongwoo is amazed to know that Hyunbin was technically two years younger than him, the man addressing him ‘hyung’ was kind of ironic but he’s a genuinely nice person, and so, the two mixed well together.

“Hyung,” Hyunbin calls out, tapping him at the back with a smile plastered on his face. “I’ve already finished making all of the collection.”

“That’s great!” Seongwoo replies another smile as he slurps the caramel macchiato clamped in his right hand.

“Yeah, and so you can explore Paris, hyung,” the older man swears he saw the young designer do a twirl in full bliss, humming some French songs he can’t seem to grasp. “This is a beautiful city, find a man, enjoy and fall in love under its lights.”

“Uhm, I came here to work, Hyunbin-ah,” the older fiddles with his phone, checking some messages from his friends in order to distract himself from Hyunbin’s agenda.

“Even so, you have to explore the place! _La vie est une aventure, Mon chéri_! Life is an adventure and you’ve gotta make use of it, this is why I placed you near the subway so you can sneak out and find some inspiration but--” the designer stops twirling and a small frown is painted upon his face. “—I guess you still haven’t explored yet.”

“I don’t know,” Seongwoo trails off, still tapping his phone. He looks at Hyunbin casually leaning on the long table. “I think I’m kind of scared to explore? I mean, it’s a different country, my English isn’t that great either and people speak French here for heaven’s sake. What could go wrong, right? Everything!” The older didn’t mean to exasperate but he genuinely wanted to say his side.

Hyunbin is quiet for a moment but he suddenly stands straight, carefully approaching Seongwoo sitting on the sofa. “You’re just scared, hyung. Come on,” he tugs the hem of his shirt as if he’s asking for attention. “You know, my parents hated me and my passion for designing but I took the leap, and look where I am now. I know it might not be related to this topic but don’t let your fears dictate what you want to do? Explore, get lost, and meet new people.”

Seongwoo hums in affirmation. The designer may have a point. Since he’s already out here in Paris, he should explore and be a tourist for once. Besides, he knows Hyunbin’s number and the younger promised to pick him up if he’s strayed too far from his hotel.

He looks out to the window and notices that it’s already dusk, a shade of warm orange mixed with the ashen blue provided by the clouds, seems to paint the sky a soft rose tone.

In the city of love and lights, Seongwoo decides to take a leap and explore the unknown.

_What else could go wrong?_

 

 

**iv. Enchanté**

_Holy shit._

Seongwoo stands agape in the middle of the sea of people swarming the whole metro, body freezing against the constant clacking of the people’s footsteps. He examines the Châtelet station, looking for signs or a map that would lead him to Champs-Élysées, one tourist spot the older had put in his itinerary for the day.

The model sees a subway map tucked in the farthest corners of the station, beside a suspicious-looking man whom Seongwoo thinks is not much of a harm. So, he walks towards the map and squints at the dizzying layout provided by the said poster. The lines, colors, exchanges and common stations are just too confusing for his brain. Worse, they’re all in French and somehow, he regrets not taking Mrs. Kim’s French class in college. But who the hell would know he’d come this far, anyways?

He examines, shuffling his phone out of his pockets and tries to translate each foreign word he sees and searches every unfamiliar address his eyes catch. Noticing that the model had a pretty expensive-looking phone, the said man approaches Seongwoo, snatches the phone from his hands and begins to sprint towards the exit.

“Help! Help!” Seongwoo couldn’t do anything but scream for help. What else could go wrong? Everything. He was right all along. He shouldn’t have been swayed by Hyunbin’s speech about getting lost in Paris because it’s a total fantasy. A lot of realizations, emotions and a bit of self-hatred continue to overflow his thoughts, losing sight of what’s happening right now. He’s totally screwed. Hyunbin’s number is in that phone and there’s no way of contact–

“Hey,” a raspy voice echoes in his mind, clearing out the clutter in his thoughts. “Is this yours?” _Korean_. The man is speaking to him in Korean.

Seongwoo looks at the man and he swears he feels as if the whole world just slowly revolved around them in that single moment. There, in front of him, a man clad in a simple white shirt and khaki pants, accentuating his muscular build and wide shoulders, gives him his phone back with an endearing smile.

_C'est ça l'amour._

“Oh my god, thank you so much!” Seongwoo did not care if he had screamed a tad louder in the metro station and may have enveloped the said stranger in a tight hug, he was just too happy. He thought his life ended when the old man snatched his phone in front of his face. But, thankfully, the man saved his life, and if Seongwoo may add, he looked beautiful too, like a prince – his knight in shining armour.

“What were you doing down here, buddy?” _Buddy? We can do something about that soon._ Seongwoo fidgets and stares at the map, pointing at where Champs-Élysées is.

“I wanted to go to Champs-Élysées,” Seongwoo sighs, looking at the person. “But I totally am hopeless in this metro thing and I don’t know any French at all.”

The man laughs at him. If this were any other man, he would’ve punched their faces already out of spite, but this man just looks so beautiful when he’s happy, so, Seongwoo lets him have his moment.

“You’re in luck,” the said man flashes a toothy smile and Seongwoo can’t help but coo because he looks like a puppy. “I’m going to Champs-Élysées too, it’s actually pretty near here. We can ride Line 1, the yellow one, and then stop at this station.” He points at the sixth station towards the left, the Champs-Élysées station. The older man nods.

Seongwoo grabs his sling bag, fixing it near his waist as he walks towards the platform. But then a hand grabs him from behind, causing him to be hyperaware at the sudden contact. “Wait,” the same (beautiful) man says, wearing a shy smile. “I have a proposition.”

“What proposition?” The model tilts his neck in wonder. What could it be?

“Since you seem to be unfamiliar with the metro and I’m kind of alone too,” said man fishes his phone out of his pockets, opening a list of places Seongwoo is completely unfamiliar of and showing it to him. “We can be travel… buddies?”

_Travel buddies, that’s cute._

“Mhm…” Seongwoo frowns a bit, thinking about the stranger’s proposition. “But I don’t even know you yet.”

“No, not yet,” the taller stranger chuckles a bit and Seongwoo feels a fluttering in his stomach. (No, he’s not whipped. Maybe, it was the cream soup he had gulped for breakfast. Curse that cream soup.) The man leans closer to the model and proceeds to extend his hand, “I’m Kang Daniel, nice to meet you.”

_Daniel? Even his name sounds like a prince._

“I’m Ong Seongwoo,” the older accepts Daniel’s hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Daniel.”

It was a simple gesture; an insignificant handshake in the middle of the crowd that doesn’t seem to stop moving. However, Seongwoo felt like it was more than that. Well, sort of. He can’t explain the rush of feelings that accompanied the greeting. Something behind Daniel’s playful smiles and deep velvety voice made the older’s legs wobble like jelly. He’s confused.

Hyunbin wasn’t joking when he said people find love in Paris. But, it’s too early to tell for sure, maybe this was all just an infatuation, a big fat crush that’ll soon fade away.

As the two of them stand together in front of the platform, both awkwardly quiet after their introductions, the train arrives on time, saving them from the growing silence. Seongwoo, once again, had been proved wrong by Hyunbin.

In a foreign country where everything seems unintelligible to Seongwoo, and inside a subway that is nowhere near home, he met Daniel; a man who offered to be his travel buddy even if they met a few minutes ago; the same man who returned his phone when he thought there wasn’t any hope left.

Venturing out from the confines of his hotel wasn’t that bad, after all.


	2. Deux

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god im so sorry for this update that's long overdue lmao

**v. Je te veux**

Emerging out of the old subway exit of Champs-Élysées station with a larger man in tow, Seongwoo is smiling. When they were inside the tram, sitting side by side, he and Daniel decided to break the deafening silence between them. 

Much to their surprise, the two had pretty much hit it off; Daniel knowing that Seongwoo is actually a tad older than him and he works as a freelance model. He hums because it’s exactly what he had in mind, the older was just too pretty for the corporate world.

Seongwoo also knows new things about his knight in shining armor slash impromptu travel buddy: the older knows he frequents Paris a lot and that he has an actual job at a financing company in Gangnam (pretty snazzy for young guy like him), he’s allergic to seafood and that he’s only here for a week, pretty much the same as his itinerary. 

From his own perspective, Daniel is nice – too nice for this world. They have only met for an hour but he can sense that the larger man is always on the lookout for suspicious people, probably sensing the older’s inner vulnerability. Seongwoo doesn’t want to say it but he absolutely feels safe with Daniel. 

The harsh rays of the sun beam past Seongwoo’s eyes, causing him to squint for a moment. He rubs his eyes as it swiftly refracts and focuses on the long avenue that stretches beyond them, its long roads tiled with antique bricks and Seongwoo can’t help but bask in its history and grandeur. Paris is old but its beauty does not deteriorate as time seeps into the vicinity, quietly blanketing the spaces where the older stands. Akin to wine, a staple of French dining and culture, the more the city of lights age, the more it becomes beautiful.

On the other hand, Daniel thinks otherwise – Paris is definitely not as beautiful as the man standing in front of him, his newfound companion who he met just an hour ago but feels as if they’d been together for a very long time. It’s amazing what love does, what his heart and mind suggests as the older male smiles brightly, basking in the sun; the nature, the Romanesque architecture that modelled the very city, the people and its ambiance.

In his white shirt and blue cardigan, Seongwoo looks more beautiful than Paris itself.

Daniel walks fast – real fast like what you would expect from a very hyperactive dog strolling on a street full of people. Seongwoo, unfortunately, does not have the enough capacity to vie the younger’s bursting energy. He has a stamina of an ant for Pete’s sake (Wait, an ant is even stronger than him), so he calls out to the younger male, howling in ragged breaths and panting profusely. 

“Daniel, wait,” says the older, still wheezing from the mini-marathon. “Let’s take a break.”

“But hyung, it’s hardly been minutes,” the larger man looks back at him, approaching as fast as he could while Seongwoo takes shelter in a nearby wooden bench, surreptitiously fanning himself of any air present. 

“I know but you walk too fast,” he argues the younger, the other with a teasing smile plastered on his face. “Let’s slow down a bit.”

“Okay, if you say so,  _ gramps _ ,” Daniel teases but extends his hands to offer the latter.

Seongwoo looks at the man and side-eyes him, he’s already this comfortable to the older as if they’ve met for a long time. The older male really wonders as to why he’s completely incapable of being mad to Daniel. Maybe it’s just how the younger’s boyish charms seem to ooze every time he laughs? How his eyes crinkle into the cutest crescents when he’s laughing? Or, maybe, he was just whipped at first sight. 

“Ha ha, funny,” the older accepts his hand and stands up, now they’re walking side by side (once again) resembling much of a couple. “Let’s go to the Arc de Triomphe and take some bomb ass pictures.”

**vi. Petit à petit**

After a good fifteen minutes worth of walking, Daniel now slower and much in pace with Seongwoo’s, they arrive in front of one of France’s most famous monuments, Arc de Triomphe. The Arc is also a perpetual reminder of the country’s rich history and equally bloody revolution that had sought to weed off power from the bourgeoisie and monarchs, and instilling an equal share of power provided by the majority’s choice – Democracy in its raw and rightful sense.

However, the said story behind the breath-taking monument had now been watered down into a mere tourist spot. The Arc’s romanesque elements, adorned with pristine and detailed sculptures piqued Seongwoo’s interest as he marvels the sheer size of the building itself, just like any other tourist would have in thought.

“Holy shit, it’s huge,” said model stands there agape, head tilted upward in utter amazement. “And it’s so beautiful, I need to take a picture.”

“You know,” Daniel grumbles while staring at the same monument. “This monument is more than just a tourist spot, this was a representation of the French independence.”

“Oh,” Seongwoo looks at the younger standing in front of the building, the man looks so sturdy, so dependable and his heart might’ve twitched a little while looking at him. “An intellectual, I see. I love smart men.” He half-teases and the man is now hyperaware of his small rant, shying away from the older male with a blush on his cheeks.

“History was my favourite subject before,” his eyes prying away from Seongwoo, distracting himself from the crimson that stain his cheeks. 

Seongwoo lets out a soft laughter and hands a small camera over to him. “Can you take pictures of me? I wanted to share this with my friends back in Seoul,” he smiles and Daniel just feels slightly attacked with the older’s unexpected cuteness.  _ So much for being a travel buddy _ , Daniel muses.

The model walks nearer to the said monument, with his sling bag in tow and a face that could launch a thousand ships. He poses for fun as the shutter clicks behind him.  _ God, he’s so beautiful.  _

Daniel doesn’t know how Seongwoo does it but the older looks amazing in every picture he has taken so far, he knows how to work his angles while still looking so casual, highlighting the blue cardigan he’s wearing, complementing the clear blue weather that surrounds them. 

So, so beau—

“Daniel, I think we’re… done?” says the model, observing the younger who is currently dozing in front of him. Still, no reply being uttered.

“Hello? Earth to Daniel?” he waves in front of the lenses that cover the man’s eyes, breaking his trance. As his senses gather round him, Daniel feels a bit of embarrassment for what he pulled off just a moment ago. 

“U-uh, yeah… we’re done,” he stutters, scratching the back of his head and letting out an awkward laugh. “Let’s have lunch? I think I’m getting hungry.”

“Yeah, me too.”

_ This is interesting. _

**vii. Heureux**

The two of them head out for food, spending a good fifteen minutes before choosing a random restaurant situated in the same avenue. Both men also spend a wonderful time arguing whether they split the bill or not, Daniel vehemently insists to pay everything since he knows that he was the one responsible for the whole idea of being a travel buddy with the older. 

On the other hand, Seongwoo is hesitant, not wanting to abuse his kindness since they just practically met each other a few hours ago. However, the younger is still as resolute as ever, ordering everything he could muster. He sees a  _ croques madames _ on the menu, one of his favourite dishes every time he spends time in Paris and decided both of them should try it.

The waiter hands out a bottle of red wine to the two, much to Seongwoo’s surprise and Daniel’s delight. With a quick  _ merci _ , the man leaves them alone and it’s up for the travel buddies to break the awkwardness stirring in the air again. 

Currently, they’re seated in a table outside the restaurant itself because the older had wanted to feel the whole Parisian ambiance and besides, the weather seems pretty perfect for an outdoor lunch.

“So, we haven’t really talked besides introducing ourselves,” the model is the first one to break the silence, surreptitiously fiddling with the silverware. “You like coming to Paris often, Daniel-ssi?” Now, the older’s tone seems formal albeit inviting for a conversation.

“Not really,” he smiles, “I mean, I frequent Paris but not at this time of the year.”

“Then, why did you come here?” Seongwoo notices the younger trying to uncork the wine bottle. With a resounding pop, he gently fills the older’s first and proceeds to fill his own glass. “Was there an emergency or something?”

Daniel laughs.

_ Why is he so cute? _

“More of an emotional emergency, Seongwoo-ssi,” the taller man reaches out for the wine glass beside him, gesturing something the model couldn’t decipher. “My  _ boss _ sent me here to cool off, says I’ve been too moody lately in the office—Cheers?”

“What a good boss,” He smiles but his face turns sour at the gesture, “Err, I’ve never had wine before.”

“No way? Are you for real?” Daniel eyes widen and lets out another hearty chuckle. “You really are a rare man, Seongwoo-ssi.”

“Let me live, Daniel,” the older retorts, looking quite embarrassed, mentally wishing he’d melt off on his chair. It’s not that he doesn’t like drinking wine, it’s that he hasn’t had any serious opportunity to try one, let alone his empty bank account. Soju is dirt cheap so there’s that.

“Well, you can always break your  _ wine virginity _ ?” Daniel smiles slyly, earning a slight blush from the older.

“A wine what?” Seongwoo blushes uncontrollably. Nevertheless, he accepts the gesture and gulps the wine in one go.

The lunch surprisingly went well with most of Daniel doing the talking the whole duration and Seongwoo learning a lot of stuff from him. He’s well-read and the older honestly isn’t surprised since Daniel exudes the aura of a prim and proper office worker. The way he carries himself is cool yet alluring, his white shirt perfectly hugging the substantial outline of his body.

A slight tinge of insecurity creeps up within him whenever the young man would open up a little about his financing work. Seongwoo can only fathom how successful Daniel is at such a young age in comparison to him.

However, Daniel is careful enough not to overwhelm Seongwoo. He shares a tidbit about his four cats which he refers to as his little sisters and Seongwoo couldn’t help but chuckle at how the younger gushes when it comes to Ori and Zhang-ah, his newly adopted kittens who seems to like each other, courtesy of Daniel showing him a gazillion of photos of the said cats.

“So you’re basically a younger male version of a cat lady?” Seongwoo chuckles, gently stuffing himself of the food they’ve ordered. The wind is fresh yet it has a chilly bite to it. Thankfully his cardigan holds enough warmth to prevent him from freezing his skinny self off the al fresco.

“Eyy, hyung,” Daniel whines. “Why do you have to put it like that?”

“But you really are, Daniel,” He’s still laughing lightly, one hand extending to the younger’s larger ones. “And I think it’s adorable. You’re adorable.” He laughs again and Daniel could feel the warmth slowly filling his cheeks, painting it bright red.

“Uhh, thanks? I guess,” Daniel says awkwardly while scratching the back of his head. He’s never great when it comes to compliments, let alone from someone as beautiful as the older.  

Seongwoo still hasn’t gleamed the awkward atmosphere that’s starting to materialize around them. For now. 

**viii. Allure**

The rest of the itinerary wasn’t that bad if Seongwoo would comment. It was mostly Daniel introducing him to a lot of niche places in Paris, the cafes he frequented whenever the said man would go on a vacation and also the good food that comes along with every store they enter. 

Seongwoo notices that Daniel really likes to spend, and as much as he wanted to refuse the things he bought, it kept piling and piling until the older had to ask him to stop buying.

“Daniel-ssi,” the older calls out to him with six paper bags in tow. “Aren’t you buying a lot?”

“Oh, it’s okay, hyung,” Daniel laughs again, taking three paper bags off Seongwoo’s wrist before letting out a bright grin. “It doesn’t really matter as long as you’re happy.”

“Honestly, I would never want you to spend this much, Daniel-ssi,” Seongwoo huffs in frustration. The two fail to notice the sun setting beyond the horizon, an orange afterglow looming above them. “I’m not that kind of person, okay?”

“I’m so sorry if you feel that way, hyung,” the younger male immediately envelops in a warm hug, causing the elder to gasp in surprise. “It’s just that I’ve never been this happy since I can even remember. To tell you the truth, this is the first time I actually felt happy.” 

Seongwoo feels his heart beat faster, butterflies in his stomach fluttering and waiting for the right time to burst. It has only been a day but a lot of things have happened. Is this the magic of the gilded streets of Paris? A whirlwind romance that’s about to develop beyond his control? Seongwoo is seriously confused but he likes it. He likes the warmth the younger emanates, the safety he’s provided for the time being. He likes his smile that reminds him of rainbows and puppies. He likes how cute and brainy Daniel can be at times. 

He likes him.

He really likes Daniel.

But does Daniel like him? Seongwoo needs to know.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm really sorry for not finishing this, i hand't expected for it to be so long lol but i'll try to finish it as fast as i can! comments are appreciated <3 happy ongniel week!


End file.
